Side by Side or Miles Apart
by thisentireaccountembarrassesme
Summary: Part of the "All is Fair in Love and War" series. First read "This is Why You Don't Love Me", "It's Not That I Hate You", "Don't Assume I Don't Love You", "No Matter What, I'll Always Love You", and "All You Need is Love". In that order. :3
1. Future Plans That Don't Involve Me

**I lied. XD I'm writing a sequel sooner than I thought. So I hope you like how this goes. I'm certainly looking forward to it.**

**This is dedicated to Tacuma, who supplied me with many, many ideas. Thank you!**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters.**

_This can't be happening._ That was the only thing that was running through Fuji's mind. It was just a few weeks after graduation when the subject of college came up. Tezuka was going to become a cop, and eventually, a detective. Fuji was happy. Proud, even. And he definitely found it to be a turn on. And when Tezuka's father asked him what he planned on doing, he replied with, "I suppose I'll do something with photography. It's something I love to do and I'm not bad at it, either." Tezuka's father found that interesting, but he didn't seem to disapprove. Fuji was fairly relieved.

But later that night, after they finished a match of tennis, they sprawled back on the courts, breathing heavily. Tezuka won, again. No surprise there. It was dark, and the stars were out. Fuji reached over and took Tezuka's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"You know," He said softly, turning his head to look at his boyfriend. "This reminds me of that time on your birthday. Up in the mountains."

"There were more stars, then." Tezuka said quietly. He rolled over on his side and kissed Fuji lightly. "I love you."

Fuji smiled a little. "I love you, too."

After a while, the regained their legs and stood up, going to go grab a drink of water and put their rackets away.

"'Mitsu..." Fuji looked at Tezuka hesitantly. "We can't avoid the subject forever."

Tezuka casted his eyes downward for a second before looking up again. "I suppose we can't."

Fuji took a deep breath. "All of us... We're all going different ways. Jirou wants to become a Kindergarten teacher, God knows why... Keigo's taking over his father's company, Seiichi is going on to be a pro tennis player, and Genichirou's going to be his personal trainer. They're going to get to stay together. Seiichi and Genichirou are going to get to stay together, and Jirou and Keigo are going to get to stay together. But us... I was accepted into one of the best photography schools in the country, and you're going to a college all the way on the other coast. What are we going to do?"

Tezuka took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Syusuke. I have no clue. Neither of us are good at long distance."

"I can't stand it." Fuji whispered. "But, 'Mitsu... We'll just have to make sacrifices. I'll give up going to that university and go that college the next town over. And you can go to that other college that accepted you. Then we won't be as far away. We'll be able to see each other on weekends and such. We can make it work."

Tezuka looked off across the courts, rubbing the back of his neck. "Syusuke... That other college... the one on the coast... It's an amazing college. It offers so much more than the other one. And you deserve to go to a top notch photography school. You're just that good."

Fuji looked confused for a moment. "Tezuka... Are you... Are you serious? Tell me, Kunimitsu, what's more important to you? Me, or your career?"

Tezuka looked back at Fuji, eyes pained. He opened his mouth to say something, but let it fall closed again. Several long minutes passed, and Fuji felt his heart breaking in his chest. "Tezuka, if it takes this long for you to decide, then... I guess we just need to go our separate ways."

"No, Syusuke-" Tezuka was cut off by Fuji's lips. The kiss was long, slow, and sweet. Longing. And it said everything. _Goodbye_.

Fuji pulled back. His eyes were wet with tears. "I love you." He whispered. Then he turned and picked up his tennis bag. He left the courts, letting the gate creak shut behind him. He walked home alone, in the dark, and cried when he realized Tezuka hadn't tried to stop him from leaving.

Once he got home, he clung to Yumiko and cried some more. She held him close and stroked his hair until he eventually cried himself to sleep. She didn't get the whole story out of him, but she got the gist of what happened. She carried him to bed, something she hadn't done in a long, long time (and something she was honestly surprised she could still do. Fuji was lighter than she thought he was).

The next morning, when he woke up, he checked his phone. Zero messages. Zero voice mail. And then he crumpled on his bedroom floor and cried some more.

**Poor Fuji. D: I feel bad for Tezuka, too, though. Sigh... Anyway. Read and review, guys? :3 Please? The more reviews I get, the more chapters you get. :D **


	2. Photographers and Scientists

**Hey guys. :D Here's the second chapter for you. :3**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis.**

_~Seven Years Later~_

"Yo, Tezuka."

Tezuka looked up at one of the members of his squad. The rookie kid, it seemed. Fresh out of the academy with a less-than-welcome attitude, long hair, and a cocky smile. Tezuka couldn't help but to wonder who he had to blow to get his gun and badge.

"Sasaki..." He warned, narrowing his eyes.

Sasaki held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Sorry, sorry. Tezuka-san."

"Thank you. Now what do you want?" Tezuka put down the file he was looking at and raised an eyebrow.

"The director wants to see you." Sasaki sat down at his desk and propped his feet up on it, but hastily removed them at Tezuka's glare.

He stood up from his desk and crossed the squad room. He knocked once on the director's door and slipped inside, shutting it behind him. "You wanted to see me, Director?"

The director, an old, gruff man, nodded and leaned back in his seat. "Yes. I have a case that I want your team to work on specifically. Here are the files," he handed Tezuka a stack of paper and folders, "and everything you'll need is inside. Keep me updated."

"Yes sir." Tezuka bowed and left the room. He went to his desk and made a small gesture for the rest of his team to gather around. He explained the case to them as he handed out copies of the file. "I want Tanaka and Kato to go talk to the family. Hayashi, go talk to the medical examiner. Sasaki, you're with me. We're going to the crime scene.

Half an hour later, Tezuka was watching evidence being bagged and witnesses being talked to.

"Tezuka, did you- Sorry, sorry! Tezuka-san... Geez, just stop glaring at me like that. Anyway, did you see the new crime scene photographer? He has these bright blue eyes, and light brown hair, and a really sweet smile. He has a really soft voice, too. And..."

Tezuka's mouth went dry. His heart lurched up to his throat and his stomach dropped. That description was terrifyingly familiar, and he wanted to make a break for the car. He swallowed hard and winced. He took a careful step forward, and then another, and started walking towards where the photographer was, leaving Sasaki to ramble to himself. He got closer and closer to the form that was bent over a piece of evidence on the floor. When he got right beside the guy, he straightened up and gave Tezuka a startled smile.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you. I'm Murakami Ryoichi." He held out his hand cheerfully.

Tezuka relaxed by tenfolds and shook the young man's hand. "Nice to meet you, too. Detective Tezuka Kunimitsu." When he went back to his work of interviewing witnesses, he felt much more relaxed and at ease.

It wasn't long before he and the rest of the team was back at the station. He was shifting through piles of things on his desk. He picked up a bagged piece of evidence and turned around to look at the others. "I'm going to take this down to Yamada and-"

"We have a new forensic scientist." Hayashi informed briskly. "Some guy with thick black glasses."

Tezuka's eyes flickered back to his high school years, most of which he usually tried to block out. But what he remembered this time was Inui, with his creepy smile, disgusting drinks and, you guessed it, thick black glasses. A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned around. "Alright then."

He stepped into the elevator and looked down at the clipboard and evidence in his hands. He didn't even bother to look up when the doors slid apart. He knew this place like the back of his hand. He stepped through the lab doors as they hissed open. "I have some evidence for you. Put a rush on it, I think. And-" He looked up just as the scientist whipped around, eyes wide.

Tezuka's voice caught in his throat. His heart stopped before it started again, double time. His mouth closed with a snap and he finally exhaled sharply. The scientist shook his head and looked like he had a loss for words.

"Kunimitsu..." He finally whispered.

Tezuka swallowed once, finding his voice. "Syusuke..."

**Dun dun dun! I bet you saw it coming from a mile away, though. xD Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next one. :D **


	3. Let's Get Drunk Er Let's Get Drinks

**Hey guys! Here's the third chapter for you. :3 Hope you like it.**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters. **

About a hundred things happened at once for Tezuka. He was completely overwhelmed by emotion, and he almost stumbled into the metal table beside him. His heart managed to swell and sink all at the same time. His breath caught in his throat and he made a surprised choking noise. Several images flashed through his head. Images of lying under the stars and playing tiring games of tennis. Images of his father's angry face because he'd defied him for love. Images of his father's compassionate face because his son was heartbroken. Images of their fingers intertwined. Flashes of lingering lips and pleading whispers. Memories flew through his mind at such a fast rate, it was terribly difficult to keep up. He remembered the teasing, flirting look in those bright blue eyes. He remembered the way his lips would curl and the way he laughed, so carefree and light. He remembered the spark of life and determination in those eyes, and he remembered the whispered "I love you"s. The feeling that stood out the most, though, was regret. And the memory he couldn't seem to push from his mind was Fuji's retreating back. The last time he saw the boy he'd fallen so far in love with. He remembered feeling so empty and lost for weeks afterward. He remembered locking himself up in his room, not answering the door for anybody, and just staring at all the pictures and gifts. Remembering all the memories and, for the first time in a very, very long time, crying.

Before Tezuka even managed to regain his mind, he heard Fuji speak again. "Fancy meeting you here."

He regained his voice a few seconds later, just in time to reply with, "I could say the same about you. What happened to photography?"

Fuji stepped forward (Tezuka's heart beat faster at this, much to his annoyance) and took the clipboard and evidence bag from his hands. "Change of heart?" He tried feebly. His voice was a light and gentle as ever. "I changed my majors." he signed the paper on the clipboard with flourish and handed it back to him. "But I see that you've gone on to be what you wanted to be."

Tezuka nodded slowly and held the clipboard in his unsteady hands. "Yes. I actually have my own team now. I'm the captain."

"At only twenty-five?" Fuji chuckled and turned towards a table that had other evidence spread out on it. "Congratulations."

"The glasses..." Tezuka said after a moment. "Are they a fashion statement, or do you actually need them?"

Fuji laughed at this. "No, I actually need them." He took them off and examined them. They had thick, black plastic frames with diamonds next to the lenses. They were girly, but Tezuka couldn't help but to notice they looked good on him.

Fuji slipped them back on and went to a computer. "Seems like we have a lot to catch up on."

Tezuka nodded slowly. "Seems so... Later, though. After work. Would you like-"

"I'd love to get drinks." Fuji replied without turning around. "After all... I have tons of questions for you."

Tezuka left the lab. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Questions... That sounded less than welcoming. But at the same time, his heart was fluttering with anticipation and excitement.

When he got back up to the squad room and sat at his desk, Sasaki started shooting off words. Things like, "Why the hell were you down there so long?" and "Why do you look so dazed?"

But Tezuka ignored them all and opted, instead, to get a cup of the nasty office coffee. When he sat down again, he looked at the rest of the team. "Alright." He said, grateful that his voice was holding steady after the whole engagement. "So tell me what we have."

He relaxed in his seat as his coworkers talked. He found himself counting down the hours until he got off of work. He drowned out what the rest of the team was saying as he thought of Fuji. His ex-boyfriend. The boy didn't look a day over nineteen. He also seemed... calmer. More timid. Less flirty. Although he couldn't be sure. He only saw him for a couple of minutes. Did Fuji still love him? Another thing he wasn't sure of.

But he _was_ sure of one thing.

He was still head-over-heels in love with his ex-boyfriend, just like he was eighteen again.

**Oh myyyyy goooood. I'm soory that took so long. D: I've been... busy, to say the least. I'll try to update this more often. :x Hope you enjoyed it, though. **


	4. Twenty Questions

**Uh... I don't have a good reason for not updating for so long. Just that I wasn't in the mood to write this particular fic. **

**But here I am! Back again. Posting a new chapter. ^^; I hope you like it. **

**I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.**

Yes, he was stalling. He was taking his time with tucking evidence away where it belonged and looking over files. He was taking his time with turning off all the machines in the room, and there _were_ a lot of them. He was taking his time with shutting down his computers and taking his time in organizing his desk.

Because, in all fact and reality, Fuji Syusuke was terrified of facing Tezuka Kunimitsu. The thought of it made his stomach uneasy and his heart beat in irregular patterns. He was afraid that Tezuka had changed (although he certainly didn't _look_ any different). He was afraid that he wouldn't like the answers he got to the questions he was going to ask. But most of all, he was afraid that Tezuka didn't love him anymore.

He supposed he never really got over Tezuka. Not even sort of, when it came down to it. He was still in love with him as much as he had been back in high school. Even when he had _tried_ to get over him, it didn't work very well. It just made everything worse. And actually coming face-to-face with him like he just had certainly hadn't made matters any better. But he was also angry with Tezuka. Angry that he had let him leave so easily. That he didn't try to call him back, and that he didn't try to stop him from going.

To his dismay, he eventually ran out of things to do. There was nothing else to busy himself with. Nothing to turn off, nothing to put away. So with that uneasy feeling still in the pit of his stomach, he picked up his back, ran a hand through his hair, and left the lab, flicking off the lights behind him.

He could always escape out the back. He wouldn't even have to face Tezuka then. He could just go home to his cat, his guitar, his photography, and his research. He could lose himself in his distractions, and wear himself out until he couldn't even think straight anymore, let alone think about Tezuka.

...That was stupid. That was _cowardly_. And there was no way he'd get any answers like that. When the elevator doors opened he took a deep breath and strode out with his chin tilted up as if he had all the confidence in the world.

Just as he was about to reach forward and open the door, somebody did it for him. He looked up, expecting to see Tezuka, because that would've been the type of stupid, cliche thing to happen to him. But instead it was a long-haired stranger, who had to be a good couple of years younger than him. He was wearing a bright grin that easily reached his eyes.

"After you," he said, making a slight swooping gesture with his arm.

Fuji smiled and opened his mouth to say thank you, but a familiar voice cut him off. Now _this_ was the type of stupid, cliche thing to happen to him.

"Sasaki!" Tezuka snapped, approaching them from behind. "Didn't I tell you no less than six times to finish your paperwork before leaving for the night?"

Sasaki's expression went to charming to the hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar look. He looked over his shoulder at Tezuka. "Ah, well, you did, but it's late, and-"

"Get back upstairs," Tezuka interrupted, "and finish your paperwork. If it's not finished by the time I get in tomorrow morning, I'll give you even more to do."

Fuji swore he could hear eighteen year-old Tezuka's voice assigning twenty laps just then.

Sasaki gave Fuji an apologetic look before skittering off around Tezuka and back into the elevator. Fuji watched him leave before looking at Tezuka. His heart ached, and he tried to ignore it, but it was harder now than it ever had been before.

"If Sasaki actually did his paperwork when he got it like the rest of us did, he wouldn't have to stay late to finish it," Tezuka muttered, shaking his head. "Anyway. You ready to go get those drinks?"

Fuji put on a brave smile and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

They took Tezuka's car, and ten minutes later, they were sitting side-by-side on barstools. The air was tainted with cigarette smoke, but neither of them were really complaining. There were murmured conversations all around, quiet laughs and subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) flirting. But none of those things mattered, because now they were nursing their drinks. Whiskey for Tezuka and Sex on the Beach for Fuji. How terribly ironic, not to mention girly.

"So." Tezuka was the one to break the silence. "You said you had some questions. I have some, too."

Oh, great. Fuji seriously wished he could drown himself in his drink. "Ask away."

"You first."

...Somehow, he knew that it would happen like this.

"Fine," Fuji sighed and stirred his drink a bit. "Do you still play tennis?"

Tezuka chuckled and Fuji glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You were always good at diverting the conversation when something came up that you didn't want to talk about." Tezuka turned his head to look at him. "Ask the real questions, Fuji. Or we'll be here all night."

Despite seven years, some things just didn't change. Like the fact that Tezuka knew him so well. And the fact that Fuji did _not_ like to be ordered around. His eyes narrowed slightly and his jaw clenched, but he knew that Tezuka was right.

"Fine," Fuji said again, but this time the word came out a little bit more tense. "You didn't stop me from leaving seven years ago."

"That's not a question."

"_Tezuka_-"

"I tried."

Fuji scowled, making the angles of his face seem sharper and harsher. "Hardly."

Tezuka shook his head, gazing down into his drink. "You wouldn't have come back if I called to you."

"You don't know that," Fuji replied, finishing off the rest of his drink and waving the bartender over. "You didn't try."

"You seem different." Tezuka changed the subject smoothly. He didn't even spare the bartender a glance when he refilled Fuji's glass. "You seem more... resigned. Less..."

"Flirty?" Fuji supplied. "Slutty?"

"You were never slutty," Tezuka replied, sipping his whiskey.

"I was before we started dating."

"Not while we were dating."

"What about after we broke up?"

Tezuka didn't respond right away. His expression was carefully arranged into a blank slate. But Fuji knew what he was contemplating. Tezuka was worrying. Freaking out on the inside about how maybe Fuji had gone back to his old tricks and habits after Tezuka shattered his heart. Worrying that maybe Fuji had decided to become a whore again, for ultimately the same reason he was one to begin with.

Then Tezuka spoke, his voice perfectly stoic. "What about after we broke up?" He answered the question with another question. The same question, in fact.

Fuji's lips twitched in a barely-there smile. "No," he said softly, gazing down at his drink. "I focused on my studies." That didn't mean that Fuji hadn't had sex at all since their breakup. He had. He had sex, and he had relationships. But he wasn't sleeping with random strangers.

Tezuka seemed to relax a little bit. He changed the subject, yet again, and Fuji felt kind of like he was playing twenty questions. "Why did you leave in the first place?"

"Because it wouldn't have worked," he replied fluidly, almost as if he'd been practicing the answer in his head. "We wanted different things. We weren't willing to make sacrifices." He paused. "No, wait. _You_ weren't willing to make sacrifices. I tried. You didn't."

Tezuka's jaw tightened noticeably. "Don't place all the blame on me, Fuji. You weren't willing to try, either. You refused to even consider long distance."

"It wouldn't have worked," he repeated his earlier words sharply.

"It would've been a hell of a lot better than you walking away when things got rough."

There was a ringing silence between them, punctuated by the sounds of the bar around them. They stared at each other, each of them refusing to look away.

"I didn't walk away when things got rough," Fuji finally replied. The edges of his words were raw, but he was still mostly composed. "I walked away when I realized you cared more about your damn career than you did about me. It's your own fault you didn't come after me."

"I was thinking about my future." Tezuka's voice was tense and guarded.

"A future that I obviously wasn't involved in."

"You're here now, aren't you?"

Fuji stared at him for a few fleeting moments before resting one arm against the bar in front of him and lying his head on top of it so he was still looking at Tezuka. "Why are we fighting?"

The corners of Tezuka's lips curved upwards in an almost-smile. He took another drink of his whiskey before answering. "Because although we didn't do it often, it always was what we did best."

Fuji smirked, and there was the slightest hint of that flirty, teenage boy he used to be in his expression. "I think there were other things we did better."

Tezuka's eyes flickered slightly in surprise. He watched Fuji closely for a moment before saying, "Are you wanting to get completely hammered and sleep together?"

Fuji shook his head, a strangely graceful movement considering his position. "We wouldn't have to get hammered."

**There you go! I'll leave you with a pretty little cliff-hanger that I'm sure you're going to agonize over until I decide to update this again. And hopefully, now that my muses are awake and I'm inspired for this, it'll be much, much more often. ^^;**

**Not that any of this matters if you guys decided to stop reading, but... whatever. XD **


	5. It's a Date

**Heeeey! You guys still read this! :D Awesome!**

**Well, here's the fifth chapter. :3 Please read and review!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.**

His head was aching slightly, not enough for him not to be able to concentrate, but enough that Sasaki's rambling was getting really, really annoying. But he supposed that his headache probably wasn't anything compared to what Fuji was feeling. Fuji had drank more than him that night. A lot more.

"Tezuka," Hayashi said, yanking Tezuka out of his train of thought (which was going no where, fast). "Sasaki forgot to take this evidence down to the lab, and he still has tons of paperwork to catch up on. And God knows that he'll get distracted if he goes down there." Hayashi rolled his eyes, a gesture that was fairly rare for the older man. "And I have phone calls to make so I can get in contact with the victim's brother. Do you mind?" He held the bagged evidence out towards his captain.

Despite the fact that Tezuka _really_ didn't want to go down to the lab at any point in time, let alone this early in the morning, he knew he didn't have much of a choice. So he nodded and took the bag from Hayashi's hands. All too soon, the elevator doors were opening and he was stepping through the lab doors.

Fuji was leaning against one of the metal tables, with one hand pressed against it behind him and the other rubbing at his temple. He opened his eyes to see who it was before letting them close again.

"Just set it on that table," Fuji said. His voice was just barely more than a soft whisper.

"How's your head?" Tezuka asked quietly. He walked across the impossibly clean room and sat the bag down on the table Fuji had indicated.

"In pain," Fuji replied, opening his eyes again to look at him. "Um... what happened last night?"

Tezuka blinked, taken a back. "You don't remember?"

"No. If I remembered, I wouldn't have asked."

Well, it was a damn good thing that they didn't end up sleeping together, because that would've made this conversation really awkward. He chuckled and leaned against a counter so he was standing across from Fuji. "Even after I stopped drinking, you continued. Which is why you're more hung over than I am." 

"Why'd you stop drinking? I seriously can't remember anything after that third glass."

"Remind me to never give you alcohol again," Tezuka chuckled. "I stopped drinking because I knew I'd have to drive you home."

Fuji let his eyes slip closed again. His fingers continued to massage his temples. He looked strangely vulnerable like that, and Tezuka wasn't sure what to think about it. "You always were more responsible than I was. Did we...?"

"No," Tezuka replied immediately. He'd been waiting for the question to arise. "We didn't."

Fuji seemed to relax a bit. "Good."

"We still have a lot to talk about," Tezuka pointed out.

"I know." Fuji turned with a slight wince and started working, busying himself with evidence and files. "But not now. Sometime when my head isn't killing me."

"Of course. We have work to do anyway."

"That reminds me." Fuji walked from one of his many computers to one of the many tables. Despite the fact that Fuji obviously had a pounding headache and wasn't feeling well, he moved gracefully, easily. "That evidence you brought to me yesterday? I've got something on it."

While Fuji explained the way he found what they needed, Tezuka struggled to pay attention to the actual content of the words as opposed to the musical note that Fuji always seemed to speak in. It was the same as back in high school. His heart skipped beats and butterflies invaded his stomach.

It wanted it all back. He wanted Fuji back. He wanted the boy that drove him absolutely insane with just the smallest of smiles. He just wanted to wrap his arms around him and kiss him like it was their last day on Earth. Like they'd never get to see each other ever again. All reckless lips and tongue and soft sighs and whispered promises and-

"Tezuka."

He blinked, pulling himself away from his thoughts. Those romance novels were really going to his head. "Yes?"

"Did you hear me?"

Not at all. "Yes."

"Good." Fuji smiled softly and moved away from the computer to busy himself with more work. "That's all I have for now. I'll let you know when I get more."

Tezuka nodded and headed towards the lab doors, although he found he really didn't want to leave.

"And Tezuka?"

He paused, halfway out the sliding doors.

"I still play. And if the calluses on your hands mean anything, then so do you."

Tezuka blinked and looked down at his hands, trying to figure out what the hell Fuji was talking about. Then, with the thought of _Oh, I'm an idiot_, he nodded. "Yeah, I still play."

"Great. Meet me at courts in the park after work, then."

"Alright." Tezuka was almost all the way out the doors when he heard Fuji's soft voice again, and the words nearly made his heart stop.

"It's a date."

**Wheeee~. That chapter sucked. XDDD But it's here! An update. :D I hope you liked it.**


	6. Here's to the Memories

**Chapter six! I'm on a roll, guys! :D **

**Give me some reviews guys! I love them!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.**

The ball crashed down onto his end of the court, and barely, just barely, he missed it with his racket. He laughed, stumbling slightly to a stop, and brushed hair out of his eyes. He was sweaty. Said hair was sticking to his face and neck. His clothes were clinging slightly to his body. It'd been a long time since he had such a good workout. A long time since he had such a worthy opponent.

"What's the score?" He called, stretching his arms over his head.

Tezuka smirked from the other side of the court. "I thought you were keeping track."

He laughed again and sat right down where he'd been standing. "God, I'm tired. And fuck, I'm getting old."

He heard Tezuka snort as he walked around the net and sat down beside him. "You're only twenty-five."

"Yeah, well, that's older than eighteen."

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "When was the last time you played?"

"I play weekly," Fuji replied, arranging himself so he was sitting criss-cross. "I just usually don't have anybody to play against that's as good as you are." He glanced over. "When was the last time _you_ played?"

"It's been a while, actually," Tezuka said, his lips twisting into a frown. "I haven't played since I saw Keigo last."

"So you still keep in touch with everyone?" He wasn't surprised, really. They all had been close friends.

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Of course." He smiled softly. "I talk to Keigo when I can, but he usually has his hands full with the company. And Seiichi's even busier than he is." He leaned back so he was laying down instead of sitting. "Next time Seiichi's in town and Keigo has a few days off, we should all get together and hang out. Jirou and Genichirou, too, of course. You know, for old times sake."

Tezuka laid back, too, smiling again. "Seiichi's supposed to be in town for a tournament next month. Maybe we can talk to him then."

Fuji gazed up at the stars and was hit with a sudden wave of Déjà vu. It took him a moment to realize it, but when he did, his heart nearly broke and his stomach twisted. This was exactly like the night that they broke up. He swallowed, and with a strange streak of courage that he hadn't had ten seconds ago, he spoke softly.

"This reminds me of that time on your birthday. Up in the mountains."

There were several beats of tense silence. Fuji held his breath, waiting to see if Tezuka would reply. When he did, Fuji almost cried, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the memories, or because he was relieved that Tezuka remembered.

"There were more stars then," Tezuka said softly.

They turned their heads to look at each other. He felt like he was staring into his boyfriend's eyes seven years ago. If he could just go back to that warm spring night, he would do everything different. He wouldn't have walked away, he would've given Tezuka another chance, he would've tried to understand. But he couldn't go back, and that was why they were here now.

They were both quiet, and Fuji wondered if Tezuka would continue with the dialog. He knew that they both knew it. That both of them had been replaying that night in their minds for the last several years. He knew that Tezuka knew what came next. The only question was if he would say it, and if he would mean it.

Tezuka searched his face for a moment, then opened his mouth. "I love you," he whispered.

Fuji's heart fluttered with a mix of relief and hope. His lips curved up into a smile. "I love you, too."

Then they were sitting up. In one smooth movement, their lips connected. There was a spark, and fireworks, and it was everything Fuji imagined and hoped it would be. His skin tingled where Tezuka's fingers brushed over his cheek and neck and down his arm. His heart was beating at an impossibly fast rate and he wondered, in the part of his mind that wasn't reeling with this sudden turn of events and spinning from the contact of hands and lips, if Tezuka could feel it. He felt fingers intertwine with his own on the hand that lay on the ground, and he slipped his free one to tangle into Tezuka's hair. He let his eyes slip closed when their lips parted and their tongues met. More fireworks exploded, and when the need for air became too much for either of them to handle, they pulled away and pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry," Tezuka whispered, eyes still closed. "I'm sorry for letting you walk away, I'm sorry for not calling you back, I'm sorry for giving you a reason to leave in the first place, and I'm sorry for not apologizing until now. You have every reason to hate me, but I love you, and I want you, and I'd do anything just to have you again."

"_I'm_ sorry," Fuji replied softly. "I'm sorry for walking away in the first place, I'm sorry for not trying hard enough. I'm sorry for giving you a reason to let me go."

"I love you so much, Syusuke. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too. But I don't trust you."

Tezuka blinked and pulled back a little, startled. "I... what?"

Fuji didn't _want_ to say it, but he had to. "I don't trust you," he repeated. "Remember when we first started dating in high school? How you said you didn't trust me and that I'd have to prove myself?"

Tezuka withdrew a little more. But their fingers remained intertwined on the ground beside them. "You think I'm going to cheat on you?"

Fuji rolled his eyes. "No, you idiot. I'm afraid you'll choose your job over me again."

Tezuka scooted closer again so their legs were touching. He reached out with his free hand to touch Fuji's cheek gently. "I just found you again. And I just got you back. There's no way I'll give you a reason to leave again. You're the most important thing to me in the world. More important than my job."

"You'll have to prove it," Fuji replied, letting his eyes flutter closed again.

"I will," Tezuka whispered. He tilted Fuji's chin up and kissed him gently. "In time, I'll prove it."

**Holy shit guys, that was epic. :D I'm super happy with this chapter. It turned out better than I thought it would. **

**I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!**


	7. A Surprise Reunion

**Still on this motherfuckin' roll, bro. XD Here's chapter seven! Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.**

For the last month, everything had been running smoothly. Tezuka had Fuji back. He was no longer his exboyfriend. Tezuka had Fuji back as his boyfriend, and he didn't plan on losing him again. Which meant, for the last month, he'd been in a better mood than he had for the previous seven years. The team had noticed, but Sasaki was the only one stupid enough to call him out on it.

Slowly, Fuji was beginning to let Tezuka in again. It was starting to shape up to be just like old times. Late night playing tennis, staring up at the stars afterwards, whispered 'I love you's when the other was least expecting it. Fuji made Tezuka feel like he was eighteen again. Like he was a teenager in love.

And even though they were so in love, they both agreed that they had to keep their job away from their relationship. So at work, they were just Tezuka and Fuji, a detective and a forensic scientist. Away from work, they were Kunimitsu and Syusuke, forever and always in love.

"Tezuka."

Tezuka looked up from the files he was shifting through. They were scattered about his desk, some of them open, others overflowing from all the papers in them. Hayashi was holding out an evidence bag with what looked like a torn fragment of fabric in it. "Sasaki forgot to take this evidence down to the lab, and he has tons of paperwork to catch up on. Do you mind?"

Tezuka nearly smiled at the familiar words. "Not at all," he replied. He stood up and took the bagged evidence, along with the clipboard that needed to be signed. He was used to picking up after Sasaki by now, and sometimes, he didn't actually mind doing it. He stepped into the elevator, and as it started going down, he looked over all the paperwork that was clipped haphazardly to the clipboard. When the elevator doors opened, he walked through them and didn't look up until he was in the lab. "Fuji, I-" He cut himself off abruptly.

Fuji was sitting at his desk, looking at his computer screen. That was normal, and it wasn't why Tezuka had stopped. He had stopped because there was a pair of feet sticking out from the bottom of Fuji's desk, and Fuji was saying, "not yet," softly.

"Syusuke!"

Fuji looked over, startled, his eyes wide. There was a clang and a long string of swear words as whoever was under the desk hit their head on the bottom of it. Fuji rolled his chair back and helped the person out from under the desk.

And for some bizarre reason, Fuji was smothering a smile. "I know this looks really, really questionable."

Tezuka nodded slowly. "Kind of, yes."

"He's a computer tech." Fuji gestured to the guy standing behind him with a dismissive hand. "He was working on my computer. He asked me to tell him when a window popped up on the monitor."

Tezuka blinked, then relaxed a little. "Right. You need to sign off on this."

Fuji didn't bother trying to hide his smile this time. He crossed the room and took the evidence and clipboard out of his hands, signing the page with his loopy signature.

"You always did jump to conclusions," Fuji said quietly, so only Tezuka could hear him. "It's cute."

Tezuka frowned and rolled his eyes. "I get off at five tonight."

Fuji's smile shifted into a smirk. "Then so do I. Can we get a bite to eat after work, then? Since it'll actually be a reasonable hour as opposed to midnight."

"Sure." Tezuka took the clipboard back and smiled. "It's a date.

...

"What's the score?" Fuji called when he scored another point.

Tezuka grinned. "I thought you were keeping track!"

Then they met at the net. Fuji draped his arms around Tezuka's neck and Tezuka pulled him over the net in order to get him closer. They kissed, and just like the very first time seven years ago, everything around them seemed to melt. They could only feel each other, and nothing else in the world existed, as far as they were concerned.

They pulled apart when they had to breath, but then they pressed their foreheads together.

"I love you," Fuji whispered.

Tezuka smiled. "I love you, too."

They glanced at the fence when they heard the gate creak open, but they didn't pull apart until they heard a familiar breezy voice say, "We thought we'd find you here."

"Ahn~, Ore-sama told you so, Seiichi."

"Shut up, Keigo."

At this, Fuji and Tezuka jerked apart, blinking in surprise at the four people walking towards them.

"Is this for real?" Fuji asked softly.

"I think so," Tezuka replied.

Then Fuji launched himself forward, tackling Yukimura into a hug. Yukimura laughed and hugged him back, holding him close for a second before releasing him. Then Fuji moved on to hug Atobe, who smiled and hugged him back as well.

"It's so good to see you guys," Fuji said, his voice muffled against Atobe's chest.

Sanada, standing a bit behind Yukimura, smiled good naturedly. "And what am I, a tree?"

"You look like one," Fuji replied, wrapping his arms around Sanada's mid-section. Sanada chuckled and patted his back lightly.

"Syusuke, Syusuke, Syusuke, Syusuke!"

Jirou easily claimed Fuji's attention. Fuji turned to him and allowed himself to be glomped into a huge, excited hug.

Yukimura turned to look at Tezuka, who was still standing where he was when his best friends randomly walked through the gates not a minute earlier. "Kunimitsu, I know you're not really the touchy-feely type, but would it really kill you to give us a hug, con-"

He was cut off when Tezuka threw his arms around him, an action that surprised Atobe so much that he actually laughed. Tezuka moved to hug Atobe as well.

The diva cocked an eyebrow, looking from the animated Fuji back to the former Seigaku captain. "I thought you guys broke up after we graduated. Did something happen?"

Tezuka smiled and gazed at Fuji for a moment. When he spoke, he didn't even bother to look away from his boyfriend. "Destiny?"

Atobe scoffed. "I thought you didn't believe in destiny, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka finally tore his eyes away from Fuji to look into Atobe's eyes. "I think Syusuke change my mind."

**The end of this chapter was complete and total fail. XD I apologize for this. This **_**might**_** be the last chapter. But I might write another if I feel like it.**

**This is, however, the last fic in this series. I'm not writing anymore for this. At least I don't plan on it, anyway. XD **


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